Qatar brokers new talks as Trump weighs post-midterm strike on Iran
Mediators in Tehran and Doha propose a two-day pause on shipping attacks, but Iranian leaders say no final deal has been reached.
By Andrew Kovalenko ·
Qatar has spent the past 72 hours mediating between Washington and Tehran to prevent a new wave of U.S. strikes on Iran. The effort comes as the United States and Israel prepare for possible military action following Tuesday's midterm elections. While Qatari officials have kept details of the negotiations confidential, mediators visited Tehran and an Iranian delegation traveled to Doha.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that there is still no definitive conclusion to the talks. However, he mentioned discussions about a two-day plan. Under this proposal, Iran would stop attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz to allow direct negotiations to resume between Washington and Tehran.
President Donald Trump addressed the possibility of restarting the war from a Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago. He stated that the U.S. is not in a rush. Trump claimed the U.S. and Israel had destroyed almost all of Iran's military equipment and manufacturing capabilities. He said the nuclear program was knocked out, with only one or two sites remaining that could be targeted in 10 minutes.
Diplomats and military officials in the Gulf say they do not know what Trump will decide after the elections. The region's security hinges on his choice. The conflict began eight months ago when the U.S. and Israel launched a war that killed Iran's supreme leader and top military commanders. Despite the damage and crippling sanctions, Iran's regime remains in power. The Revolutionary Guard retains the ability to inflict pain on Gulf neighbors.
The war has disrupted global energy markets. Brent crude oil prices are 60% higher than before the conflict began. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has raised oil and gas prices worldwide. Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, told senior commanders this weekend that any threat to the country must be met with an immediate response without geographical limitations. Iranian state media said this means new attacks would cause greater damage than those already seen.
In Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, the physical toll is visible. On the first day of the war on February 28, Iran struck the 5th Fleet's logistics hub and warehouses. Aya Batrawy, reporting from the Manama Dialogue security forum, noted that the base once housed 8,000 military personnel. That number has dropped to fewer than 100. Radar equipment remains hit and warehouses appear charred from the highway.
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani spoke of missiles and drones fired at civilian infrastructure and military sites. He noted that Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened to target undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz if the war resumes. Al Zayani described the cables as a shared artery being used as a tool of pressure. During the peak of the war, Iran struck Amazon data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Gulf Arab states view Iran as their top security threat but do not want a full-scale war. Senior Emirati diplomat Anwar Gargash said the crisis requires political tools rather than military solutions. He argued that military options would complicate the scene without offering a quick exit. Economies across the Gulf are suffering, and Saudi Arabia is struggling to protect its airports and oil facilities from attacks by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
